Sun, Sea and Money Trouble
by Nibelheim
Summary: A wild night of parting leaves an unwelcome surprise for our heroes.
1. Chapter 1

Tifa was fast asleep dreaming of days long past. It had been three days since the party had crossed the ocean and arrived in the sunny resort town of Costa de Sol courtesy of Shinra. Of course like everything, nothing every goes as smoothly as planned and the boat ride was no exception however this was a good opportunity to forget about all that business and let your hair down for a change. The party had certainly taken advantage of this rare chance to cut loose and there was plenty to do in Costa de Sol. Swimming in the clear blue seas before soaking in the suns rays on the sandy beaches that stretched for miles across the coastline. Chilling out in the nightclubs and bars. Shopping around the town centers many souvenir shops, potion stands and weapon sellers. Gambling at the casinos. Tifa was particularly good at card games being a bar hostess and had made a tidy profit over the past few days while Barret, not one to be outdone had manged to guess the winner of no less than two Chocobo races. They had had a great time but alas all good things must come to a end and it was agreed that today was the day that they would resume their journey.

Tifa awoke to the sound of Chocobos swanking originating from the hideous novelty cloak located on the small dresser next to her bed. She moaned in irritation and rolled over towards the source of the disturbance. She clenched her knuckles together and slammed her hand down with a little too much force, smashing the clock into a thousand pieces. "Opps" she said sheepishly. Sometimes I don't know my own strength. Hopefully the hotel staff wouldn't find out about this until we had already left. Well its more of a small villa really and the six of us were the only guests currently. Tifa reluctantly pulled back the bed sheets and climbed out of bed, taking in a deep breath of the cool morning air. She walked over to the window and drew the curtains, shielding her eyes from the burning sun which was half visible, looming out of the sparkling ocean in the distance. Suddenly remembering why she had set her alarm to go off a hour earlier her eyes shot open. Aries! That women had beaten her to the bathroom every single time since arriving at the beach resort and had proceeded to take hours curling her hair, showering and fixing her makeup. Well not today! Making her way to the door her foot tripped on something, yelping in surprise and arms flailing she just about manged to avoid falling over. She glanced over her shoulder to see Yuffie sprawled out on the carpeted floor grasping some materia while she slept like a baby. Guess it was a mistake to let her try that cocktail mix last night after all. Yuffie mumbled something in her sleep.

Tifa leaned forwards a little to help make it out. "Mmmm Mati...Matiria. All mine..." Gees that girl has a one track mind. Shearing a room with a professional thief was more then a little worrying. Tifa reached for her complementary bathing robe hanging off the door hook and wrapped it around her body. Then, not missing a beat she pushed the brown oak door which creaked as it swung open and jogged at a brisk pace towards the villas female bathroom. I hope they haven't used up all the bubblebath solution. Tifa couldn't wait! The jacuzzi was beckoning her onwards with promises of pleasure and relaxation. At last she reached the welcome sight of the bathroom door hanging invitingly open, obviously unoccupied. Tifa was just a few steps away from the door with a smile on her face when a blur rounded the corner next to the bathroom and flew inside, slammed the door shut. She heard the lock click and the message on the doorknob now read in red lettering 'occupied'. Her smile faded as she pieced together the last few seconds. Long flowing brown hair and a deep red jacket. Areis! Surely she hadn't managed to beat her to the punch again! Knocking on the door confirmed her suspicions as the familiar voice of the Midgar flower seller answered back at her.

"What? Who's banging on the door at this hour?"

Tifa forced herself to be pleasant. "Its me, Tifa, could I use the bathroom first today?"

"Sorry Tifa but its first come, first served" Aries replied back with a mischievous tone. "Don't worry, I won't be more than a few hours. I woke up early to use the jacuzzi. Oh looks like theres only enough bubblebath for one."

Tifa groaned. She couldn't believe her luck. Now what was she going to do? She'd never get back to sleep and had really needed to tend to her hair. She wasn't letting Cloud see her like this.

Someones footsteps were echoing up the hallway. She turned round, hoping it wasn't Cloud.

"Hello Tifa" Yuffie called out a little to loudly for that time of the day. "What ya doing up so early?"

Barret yelled out from his room "Hey keep it down out there! I'm trying to sleep!"

"Ah keep your head on boss. I didn't mean to itterrupe your beauty sleep." Barret made a threatening gesture but Yuffie ignored him and continued to walk down the corridor towards her. "So big sis. Whats going on? Why are you standing outside? I really need to use the bathroom. I still feel queezy from yesterday."

"Well I wanted to fresh up but her ladyship Aeris beat me to it...again."

"Oh gaud" Yuffie's gaze shifted from Tifa to the bathroom door in front of them. "Ah come on Aeris. can't we use the washroom first today?. I'm not feeling so good."

Aries was preparing to take a shower. Running the water until it was nice and warm she called back over her shoulder. "I can't hear you over the water. Can you speak up a little?"

Yuffie mumbled softly "You can hear me all right" then looking up at Tifa she added "How about we teach her a lesson?"

Tifa was intrigued and giggled. "What did you have in mind?"

Yuffie "Oh just leave it to me." She grinned. "Wait here and enjoy the show!" Then before Tifa could inquire further the nimble thief raced off down the staircase marked by a sign that read 'boiler room'. Tifa pushed her head against the door and waited a minute, eagerly listening in but hearing nothing apart from the torrent of flowing water and Aries humming a tune to herself. Then all of a sudden Aries started screaming "Ahhhhhh cold cold cold!" She heard the shower door slid open and someone jump out onto the floor with a thump. "Hey Tifa, whaddya think?" came a voice behind her. Yuffie had returned and was wearing such a large grin on her face Tifa thought her cheeks might split. Surprised to find herself grinning just as hard she asked "What did you do?"

Giggling she explained that she had cut off the flow of hot water. They both bust out in laughter.

Cloud was sitting on a cheap worn out couch in the villa sitting lounge watching TV, or at least had been before Barrett had demanded to watch his favorite action show titled "Freedom fighters" about a group of anti-government rebels. It was so predictable and generic that it was sending him off to sleep. "This show sucks" he muttered under his breath." Barrett looked up from his bright orange arm chair. "You say something spiky?"

"No, nothing at all." he replied sighing. I wonder if Shinra rangers is still on? Barrett refused to watch anything with the Shinra power company logo on it. It was only a program so who really cares? Especially when this was the episode when they finally confront the terrorists 'earth first'.

How long could the ladies possibly take to get ready? He'd been sitting down for over two hours and had only seen Aries fully dressed and packed. He hadn't talked to her as she had had a dark look on her face which read "Leave me alone". He glanced at the TV which was now running the adverts and was amused to note that it was the one about SOLDIER eye contacts. "Appear as a member of the elite Shinra group SOLDIER to your friends and family with these snazzy cool contact lens! Available in emerald green and sky blue!" the announcer blurted out as enthusiastically as humanly possible before Barret flicked his hand at the TV and turned it off with the remote. Cloud thought he heard him mumble something about the guys from SOLDIER being all show.

"So are we ready to head out yet?" came a voice behind him. Sounded like Red 13. Sure enough he was laying on the plush rug just behind the sofa Could was seated on. "Not just yet." he replied. "Still waiting for Tifa and Yuffie to make a appearance."

"What about the supplies?" Barrett chimed in, arching a eyebrow inquisitively. "What?" was the only responce he receieved.

"The supplies for our journey" Barrett pressed raising his voice. "The stuff we need to hike over the mountain ranges".

Cloud held up both his hands. "Whoa!, no one said anything like that to me yesterday."

"Yes I did!" Barrett replied pulling out a scrunched piece of paper from his left trouser pocket. He pressed it flat before reading it out loud. He cleared his throat. "50 gil off your dry cleaning next time you..." He stopped in his sentence abruptly. "Hey wait a minute!" Cloud was holding a hand in front of his face, trying unsuccessfully to hold back a giggling fit.

Barrett threw the coupon down and pointed at cloud. "You! You switched the note! I had a signed list of everything we needed. Signed by you!"

"S-Sure you did. Why don't you get the crews clothing dry cleaned? Hahaha"

Before Barrett could respond the door leading to the landing opened up and in walked Tifa and Yuffie side by side.

"Whats so funny?" Yuffie beamed, intent on getting in on the fun. "You lose your marbles?"

"Not unless you steal them." Tifa remarked under her breath.

The avalanche chief rose to his feet, knocking a foot rest over as he did so. "Soldier blue here hasn't gotten our supplies."

Cloud could suddenly feel every pair of eyes in the room bearing down on him. A wicked smile formed on Yuffies face. Tifa wore a expression of disbelief. Barrett was scowling. Well it truth, he always kind of looked like that. Time for damage control!

"Oh come on guys. We were all pretty wasted last night during the party. We all had a lot to drink so it wasn't exactly the best time to go shopping for brick-a-brak. Just hand me the gil and I'll be back before you know it with..." Tifa held up a hand for him to stop.

"Wait a minute. I already gave you the money yesterday."

"You gave...me.." Cloud stumbled.

"The money yesterday." Tifa finished the sentence for him while fishing out a piece of paper from her black skirt pocket. She held it closer. It was the list Barrett had be searching for. "You STILL have the money right?"

He noticed with worry that her fists were starting to tighten at her sides. How best to break the news he wondered? He had assumed the money was for them all to enjoy themselves, one last night of fun and frolicking before they left over the mountain range. Drinks, entertainment, gambling money. Party games. He had spent it all!

"Errr" He searched for the right words. "You mean the party cash right?" Then trying to appear as friendly as possible with a stupid grin he added "I wanted everyone to have a great time on our last day here so I used all the money up last night. You must have wondered where all the gil came from right? All those cocktails plus the fine vintage wine. The tickets to that all night party?"

The atmosphere in the room changed within the second just as if someone had flipped a light switch from calm to crazy. Everyone was shouting, complaining and out for blood. Clouds blood! Red remarked that humans couldn't be trusted. Barrett was looking like he was about to explode. Tifa was trying to calm things down unsuccessfully while Yuffie just placed a hand on her forehead, quietly sighing in disappointment. Time to make a quick getaway.

Cloud left his seat and shuffled towards the bar entrance across the room, trying not to look like a man on the run. Excellent! I made it to the door without getting killed. Now, I'll just give them some time to chill out and forget about things. A few hours and they should be a whole lot more forgiving. He turned the door handle in order to reach the sanctuary of the villa bar. The door swung open and there stood Aries, a glass of crystal clear white wine in one hand. She was swaying from side to side and appeared drunk. "Whattya mean you lost all our money?" Aries snarled.

"Wait, Aries. H-How did you know?" Cloud stuttered.

"Oh I'm not deaf, not by a long shot. I could hear the ruckus from the bar. Disturbing my wake up drink and to top it off, losing all of our cash. Unforgivable! Time for divine punishment!" she spat out as she pulled her staff out from behind her back. Her eyes flashed with magical energy and her hair fluttered as if caught in a breeze as she chanted a mild (but painful) lightening spell. Everyone dived for cover apart from Cloud who was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Tifa was seated in the villa bar, nursing a glass of fruit juice while trying to wrap her head around the predicament they now found themselves in. She took a sip of her drink, feeling refreshed as the cool liquid passed down her throat. Opposite the raven haired ex terrorist was her parter in crime, Barrett, his own refreshment in hand. "So" He inclined his head towards her "How we gonna get out of this situation?"

Tifa had one arm resting on the wooden pine table, absentmindedly tracing her fingers along the lines of age criss crossing the surface. "I have no idea." She replied sighing. A sudden look of optimism appeared on her face. "Hey, what about the money you won on the chocobo races? I put all the money I won at cards in with the supply fund but you still have some left over right?"

Barrett cringed a little at the question. "I spend all the money I won yesterday. Or at least I think I did." Then, scratching his head he added. "Don't remember much about yesterday at any rate. Only thing I do know is that the gil wasn't there in the mourning."

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had at least thought the leader of a organization apposing the most powerful force in the world would be able to keep a hand on his finances. Then again Tifa had always been in charge of the funding being a bar hostess and all. And with good reason it seems. "Aheeee you've got to be kidding me!" She banged her fists against the table, causing some of the refreshments to spill onto the surface. A few people turned their heads at the source of the commotion before hastily returning to their own business as Tifa glared at them. The now extremely irritated martial artist continued on. "First Cloud, and now you! You really can't trust men with anything important can you?" Several people left their seats, trying not to stare at the spectacle.

Seeing what was happening in the bar and conscious that they needed to keep a low profile Barrett decided to change direction. "Shhhhhh. Don't raise your voice. We're wanted people."

"Oh I wouldn't say that. Who exactly would want YOU?" his comrade fired back.

Barrett's eyes flashed with annoyance. The larger man held his hands up. "Whoa, Whoa, hold your horses right there missy. First off I didn't win that much, wouldn't have mattered. Secondly, Its my money and I'll do whatever I want with it and lastly..."

He grinned like an attorney about to reveal a choice piece of evidence to the courtroom. "You and Aries are the ones who spend most of our spare change. New clothing. Beauty products. Magazines. You name it! The problems have only grown worse with Yuffie. And you have the nerve to accuse ME of being bad with money!"

Flustered, Tifa stood up, picked up her drink and threw it all over Barrett. "Well if thats the way you feel, you can just raise the money yourself!" She stormed off, kicking the door open on her way out. Barrett just sat there bemused. Truth hurts.

"And then he said that we were the ones spending all the gil. Can you believe it?" Tifa told her story to a stunned Yuffie and Aries as they waited for the rest of the crew to show up outside the villa. It was just approaching midday in Costa de Sol and the sunny city was packed with people walking around, seeing the sights. All the store owners had opened up shop and were selling their wares. One of them was calling out about his special price on bananas. The Beach was positively packed. You could hear families playing in the sea, children frolicking in the waves throwing water at each other. Yuffie yearned to join the fun and held her hands in her pockets as Tifa finished her tail.

"I can't believe he'd say that!" Aries said, outraged. "Yeah, I know." Tifa agreed, nodding. "After all we do for them we should be entitled to a little spending money."

"Yahhh spending money!" Yuffie cried, jumping up and down. "Money, gil, gil!"

Aries sat looking up at the sky, watching the clouds race past. It was a clear beautiful day. "A lady needs a few luxuries."

Cloud, Barrett and Red wandered up to the meeting point; a large mansion on the coastline which loomed over many of its neighbors. Cloud had been talking about how he was being victimized unfairly for what seemed like hours now and his companions were getting sick of it. "So as I was saying" he continued "Just because I had the money it doesn't mean that I was the one responsible to losing it all. No one really remembers what happened that night. For all I know, someone else spent it all. Yeah, couldn't have been me. I'm a very considerate person after all."

Barrett just nodded his head, not wanting to give him an excuse for rambling on any further. Hopefully Tifa and the others had calmed down by now and they could get on with the business of resuming there travels. They walked down a street full of expensive looking properties before turning the corner. The mansion was only a hairs breath away now and it wasn't long before they had met up with the others. They greeted each other with a few hellos and a wave of the hand.

"Hey cloud, you look poorer then usual" Yuffie joked upon their meeting.

Cloud just raised a eyebrow. "So what are we going to do about traveling expenses?" he asked to no one in particular.

Aries was the one to provide a answer, but not one he expected. "Well well well. Funny that you'd be the one to bring it up. Tifa told me what happened earlier today..." Barrett tensed up. "About how we apparently spend the lions share. Well to prove that we are the responsible ones of the group."

Tifa interrupted "Not we that need to prove it."

Placing a hand on her chest she continued "To prove that we are the responsible ones of the group and to solve our current problems we propose a challenge. Whoever makes the most amount of money by the end of the day wins. Its as simple as that. What do you say?"

The guys exchanged uneasy looks with each other before Cloud broke the silence. "Game on" he said.

Yuffie grinned with excitement. "Nice choice. But don't expect to win as I Yuffie, the master ninja will be against you."

"Oh" Aries added in a playful voice "Whoever loeses will have to undergo a punishment."

"And it won't be us." Tifa purred.


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud sighed. Things had spiraled completely out of control. A little money trouble had escalated into a competition to raze the most gil by the end of the day. Well, I didn't start the battle, but I'll win the war. Especially since I was on the mens team, our success was almost guaranteed. Cloud glanced around at the faces assembled around him in the coffee bar they had chosen for the strategy meeting. A small establishment that only had a few other customers besides us three. Barrett still looked irritated while Red was grumbling about not being allowed to sit on one of the chairs for fear of catching attention. Hey it wasn't his fault that large red animals didn't generally sit upright in a chair and sip coffee. Better keep the teams spirits up. Arranging his face into a pleasant slime that he didn't feel he said "Hey guys, don't look so glum. We've got this competition in the bag if we work together. Those girls don't stand a chance!" Barrett glanced up while he finished his coffee. Placing the cup on the table he responded "We'd better win, I'm sure as hell not going to lose and have to do the forfeit, whatever that turns out to be. Who knows what crazy stuff Aries would think up."

Cloud involuntarily shuddered. Red had a similar look of dread on his face. "So" Red spoke up, "Who has a good idea to raise some quick cash by the end of the day?"

"Pyramid scheme?" Barrett suggested. "Robbery?" added Cloud.

Barrett flashed a dangerous looking smile and gave a thumbs up. "Nice thinking! You have some decent ideas every now and then spiky."

Oh boy, looks like I'm on my own though Red as he lay on the smooth lino floor. Better come up with a plan that actually has a chance of success before these two torpedo things. Humans can be such silly creatures at times. I shouldn't have to sit on the ground and pretend to be a common animal. Taking care that nobody heard him apart from the two plotters above he said "Maybe we should pursue a less risky method?" which only prompted both to reply back with "Such as?"

"Well what are we good at, what are our strengths? Play to those and things should come easy to us."

Cloud placed his hand under his chin, seemingly lost in deep thought. A few minutes passed in complete silence. Red was wondering if they had gone into a coma until Cloud's head sprung up, his expression one of someone who had just made a great discovery. "Well, I am pretty good looking if I do say so myself. Perhaps I could earn some money in the world of modeling."

Red could almost hear the tumbleweed rolling across the floor in the aftermath of what he assumed was a joke. Barrett groaned. "You gotta be kidding me." Cloud looked at him blankly for a few moments. He scratched his head and reached for his cup.

"Well if you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them."

* * *

Yuffie looked up at the large brick brown clock tower in the city center. It was still early in the day, but the signs were looking good for another hot and sunny afternoon. The city square was a mass of people running off to work, or tourists enjoying the sights. You could hear many conversations taking place, or just individuals chatting on their phones as they sped past Yuffie, not even giving her a second glance. Well if they weren't paying attention then it was their own fault she thought to herself. A good ninja was always on guard, always on the lookout for an opportunity.

And as a skilled thief as well as a master ninja, opportunities were not in short supply for this plucky young risk taker. She started moving though the crowd, slowly at first but quickly picking up the pace. The young ninja sailed through the packed town center as if it were an empty race track. Formless like water, just as she had been taught. Her hands flashed faster than the eye could see as she raced along and within the span of a few seconds she had made her way to the end of the square. Yuffie walked off with a smug look on her face. She cradled the dozen or so wallets in her hands and quickly placed them in her pouch. "This is almost too easy." she giggled. "Well I guess this is ME we're talking about after all." She stole a glance behind her. No one seemed any the wiser, people still going about their business. "Time to find another hunting ground." she sang as she skipped across the cobbled stones.

* * *

"This is never going to work."

"Just keep it down Cloud, this plan is foolproof. Just follow my lead as always." Barrett said as they passed under the large brightly coloured arch leading to the dolphin casino. Red followed closely behind the two, a cheap collar around his neck which Barrett held in one outstretched hand. Apparently the casino wouldn't let in pets unless they were properly tethered to a human. Well he'd better get what they have promised him for having to suffer this indignity. They approached the translucent double doors that let into the establishment which were flanked on either side by tall men in jet black suits and dark wire rimmed glasses. Barrett nodded to one of the men who in turn nodded back as they moved into the casino. Barrett had of course had to remove his weapon arm in order to enter the Dolphin but if everything went to plan they hopefully wouldn't need the use of it. Still things seldom went to plan he thought. The atmosphere immediately changed as they entered the vast betting floor which was brimming with life, even at this early hour of the day. Old ladies hammering the endless rows of slot machines, the noisy spinning of roulette wheels on which fortunes could be won or lost. Cloud noticed a few beautiful casino employees dressed in bunny suits swanning around selling expensive looking cigars and other assorted goodies. He started moving over to them with the intention of introducing himself but a sharp cough from Barrett kept him from wandering off. A few minutes later trying to navigate their way through the mass of gamblers, table games and slot machines they reached their objective; the poker tables.

"Remember the plan Cloud?" asked Barrett.

Cloud, walking besides him raised an eyebrow looking surprised. "As if I would forget. The success of this operation is entirely in my safe hands after all." Cloud yelped in pain as Red very deliberately stepped on his foot. "Ok, ok; our safe hands."

The party sized up the numerous games under way and eventually settled on the nearest table by the emergency exit just in case they needed to make use of it. Another advantage was that it had a large number of card sharks which would take some of the attention away from their actions. Barrett gave a brief nod to Cloud before taking an empty seat at the lavishly decorated table. The croupier; a young lady in a smart looking black suit regarded the newcomer for a moment before asking if he would like to buy in at the start of the next hand.

"Give me 100 gil worth of chips please."

"I'm sorry sir but the minimum buy in is 300 gil."

Some of the other players smirked at the small time wager. Laugh while you still can Barrett thought. Still 300 gil was everything the three had left after scraping around for every last piece of cash they could find. This had better work! Cloud and Red were blending into the crowd as expected, time to get this show on the road!

The croupier dealt out the cards to each player in turn. Barrett was pleased to get a ace of diamonds with a 10 of spades kicker. Pretty good hand at this stage of the game with so many players still in the game. There was a chorus of folds until it was Barrett's turn to make a move. "Bet....100." he declared as he pushed a few green chips into the center pot. The only other person to call was a posh looking lady in a shimmering red cocktail dress with a cigarette holder in one hand. Barrett watched her for any signs of a tell but she just returned his gaze with a cold look in her eyes. A seasoned gambler no doubt. Well time to take her in for everything she was worth. The flop was a king of hearts, a 5 of diamonds and finally a 4 of diamonds. No real help for him, lets check on what the ice queen is holding in her hands. Barrett gave the signal by scratching his nose while wearing the mask of someone who was trying to figure out his next course of action for the benefit of those around him. His eyes searched for Cloud and upon finding him he lowered his eyes to rest upon Red who was still annoyed at the collar around his neck. Red formed his paws into subtle movements that the team had been practicing before entering the casino. If he was reading things correctly the ice queen had nothing and the draw hadn't helped her at all. Ha, this was going to be easy.

"All in."

* * *

"Gather round holiday goers!" Tifa hollered while waving her arms around like a madwoman. "Have a little fun and make a little spending money while you're at it with this unique opportunity!"

At first only a few people showed any interest, but as a few minutes passed more and more individuals were crowding around trying to see what all the fuss was about. Tifa was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun beating down on the seafront where they had set up shop. Since the beaches were the number one destination in Costa de Sol they could maximize the number of punters they could reel in. Still was it hot! I would much rather be swimming in the beautiful sea than roasting here in my normal clothing. She stared at the swirling blue waters for a second. So tempting. She ran a hand over her forehead to wipe away the sweat that was starting to run down her face. Still, she couldn't believe this was the best idea that they had been able to come up with. A simple card scam that she had seen many times before while wandering around the shops in wall market. Having been a bar hostess in the sector 7 slums for many years Tifa had learnt of a manner of bar tricks and cons from customers that had enjoyed a little too much to drink. Yuffie had been no help and had shot off as soon as her back was turned shouting out over her shoulder that she would return with mountains of gil.

"Will anyone try their hand at this marvelous game?" She paused for a moment before adding "Just match up two chocobo cards to win it big..." then hesitating slightly for dramatic effect "but beware the pitfalls. Avoid the monster cards at all costs."

Tifa then stabbed her finger around, as if searching for the first victim...errr client. "Who will be the first to try their luck? Get two tries for only 50 gil."

"Could I try, please?" came a soft spoken voice from the back of the onlookers. Aries made her way with some difficultly to where Tifa had set up her stand, having to squeeze past those uncourteous enough not to give way. Tifa stood behind a dusty old table they had found laying unused behind the villa that they had been residing in. Laying on the table surface were a series of face down cards with blue braiding around the edges. The trick of the game was to match two of the same chocobo cards while avoiding monster cards in order to win. Of course it wasn't that simple.

Aries turned over the first of the cards; a chocobo. "All right!" she yelled, raising one fist in the air. "Next..." Aires said softly as she traced her hand across the air above the cards. "This one....or maybe this one?" This was all scripted beforehand but it still amazed Tifa that she could be so devious when necessary. Definitely Midgar actor material.

Finally, having made her decision she flipped over her card over only for it to turn out to be a dire wolf. Aries wore a mask of disappointment. The crowd started to murmur. Perhaps commenting on how the poor young lady had no chance of winning before the game even started.

Tifa, looking apologetic stuck to the script. "I'm sorry you didn't win this time, maybe you will win it big with your next try. You still have one more shot."

Aries seemed to brightened up at that. "Yes, you're right. I'll give it my all this time round."

This time she promptly turned over 3 chocobo cards which was a winning hand.

"Congratulations, you've just doubled your money!" said Tifa has she reached into her pocket and handed over a collection of coins to the jubilant flower girl. The mood in the air seemed to change at her success. A few people stood forward asking whether they could try their luck.

"Now, now, please. There is plenty of time for everyone to have a go. Don't push. Yes sir, that will be 50 gil. Good luck."

Your going to need it thought Tifa. Aries walked away, making sure not to grin until she was away from prying eyes.

* * *

Barrett raked in his winnings, making sure he maintained his business like demeanor. He felt like bursting into song and dance but that would draw too much unwanted attention. The ice queen was looking dark and brooding after losing a large sum of money on the last hand. He'd managed to triple his money in the few hours that the crew had been working the Casino while losing a few token hands to keep him from appearing too lucky. It would be time to move on soon. Better not to push his luck.

"Raise to 80 gil." said a hard nosed man. Barrett had to stall for a minute, pretending to think over his next move while Red positioned himself in order to get line of sight on his quarries cards. Cloud was finding it increasing difficult keeping himself occupied while Red gave his covert signals to his comrade at the card tables. Moving from attraction to attraction was starting to look stupid. Barrett called the pot after receiving the all clear and looked at the flop. Nothing helped him. There were two other players in the pot besides him, best to leave this hand and this casino for that matter.

Combined with the constant background noise of slot machines rigging in his ears, the overhead lighting was starting to get to him. After everyone had finished the current hand Barrett stated his intention to leave the table and started to collect his chips.

"You can't leave," the ice queen snapped. "Not until you give me the chance to win back my money."

"Sorry babe, I'd feel bad if I took any more of your money."

With that, he turned his back and walked away towards the cashiers booth; accompanied by sounds of outrage as the diva lost her temper and started arguing with the floor staff. He had to stop himself drooling as the cashier pushed a large sum of shiny coins under the black metal mesh screen.

"Will that be all sir? You can take advantage of our store credit offer if you like." said the male attendant as he finished handing his winnings over.

"No no, that's alight. I've got other matters to attend to." replied Barrett.

Cloud sat just outside the casino on a wooden bench overlooking the entertainment district in all its glory. Man was he bored. Having to pretend to enjoy himself playing the mindless casino games for hours on end while trying at the same time to position Red so they he could read the other players cards had been so mind numbing. Never mind acting natural for the many surveillance cameras littered around the building. Still he was half expecting the two security guards to start walking towards him at any moment after getting a call from the floor manager.

Not that two grunts would cause him any problems, he just didn't enjoy picking on weaklings. Just as he was looking in the direction of the large double doors of the dolphin casino swung open. Barrett scrolled out, seemingly without a care in the world.

Cloud waved him over. "So, how much did we get in the end?" he asked as soon as Barrett reached them.

"Oh, don't worry spiky. We got plenty. This game is ours."

"So, what next?" Red asked.

* * *

It had been a good days haul. Tifa and Aries had managed to net quite a bit of gil before they'd been forced to shut down the stall after Aries had warned Tifa that some Shinra troops had been on the prowl. They walked around town for a little while after returning to the inn to freshen up. Aries hoped that the fresh air would help inspire them in what to do next. And just maybe, catch up with Yuffie, wherever she was.

"Well that went well I guess." said Tifa as she mentally counted up the total amount of cash they had raised. "Great acting on your part." she added with a giggle.

"Thank you for the kind words Tifa." Aries did a mock bow like an actor finishing a play. She tilted her head up. "Hopefully our next performance will be up to the same high standards."

"Oh I have no doubt."

After a few more minutes of wondering around town they reached the area right next to the beach, close to the lovely villa they were staying at.

"Such a beautiful day." Aries said with a little wonder in her voice at what they could be spending their time on instead of this.

The sound of music was all around them as a local band was playing their catchy beat on the streets corner. Many people were breaking into dance around the group as they played away their tropical sounding beat. There were a few games underway as well. Shoot the target and win a price, pin the tale on the donkey, that sort of thing.

They continued onward through the party goes, taking in the sights. They passed one of those hammer games where you had to strike the target on the floor with all your might in order to push up the metal weight to ring the bell. Tifa slowed as she watched some guy slam the hammer into the target but just fall short of forcing the weight to hit upon the bell.

"Better luck next time sir." said the vendor, a middle aged man wearing what looked like a black kitchen apron. "Will anyone else test their strength against the forces of gravity?"

"Win a little gil for your troubles." he called into the crowd.

Tifa felt a elbow nudge her in the back. "Go on" Aries said "Easy money for someone like you."

"Ahhh all right. Stop pocking me. Sheesh."

Tifa stepped forward while rummaging through her pockets for some spare change.

The man outstretched an arm. "Step right up my lovely. I'll give you two tries to make it fair."

He, underestimating me huh Tifa thought. Well hes in for a surprise. Tifa picked up the hammer, gripped it firmly in her hands and took a few seconds to get accustomed to the weight.

"Go,go tifa!" Aries cheered.

Tifa swung the hammer down onto the target with such force that the metal weight hurtled upwards faster than the eye could follow, not only hitting the bell but knocking it off the poll altogether.

Still got it, thought Tifa. She could hear Aries in the background, continuing her cheering. "Yeah, I knew you could do it. Go, go Tifa!"

The apron man looked dumbfounded, his head arced high in the sky. "Gees you sure sent that flying, are you sure you're a lady?"

Aries stopped cheering and looked at the man, a look of surprise on her face which quickly changed to laughter.

Tifa was less than impressed. "Of course I'm a lady!"She spat. "Just because you find it difficult to hit a featherweight object a few meters into the air doesn't mean I can't! How dare you!"

The man backed up a few steps. "Easy, easy lady. I didn't mean anything by it. He-heres your prize young lady."

Tifa narrowed her eyes, her fists still clenching and unclenching. She reached out her hand for the money. I should think so too."

"Haha I can't believe that." Aries stuttered out as she tried to catch her breath.

Just then a loud crash drowned out the music for a few seconds as a shadow leapt over on of the food stands. The figure was zooming through the crowd at an alarming rate earning cries of surprise and annoyance as people were pushed aside.

"Eeecck, Tifa, Aries, help me!" came a familiar voice.

"Yuffie? Is that you?" cried Aries. "Where have you been?"

Yuffie raced up to her two friends and stopped dead, completely out of breath. She was hunched over for a little while as she got her circulation going again.

She wasn't alone, two Shinra troopers were following her, trying in vain to push people aside in their pursuit.

"Damn it yuffie." Tifa sighed. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Yuffie beamed with mischief as she reached into her pouch and produced a series of wallets and purses. "Just earning some quick cash. Well until those clowns turned up. A girl just can't make an honest living these days."

Yuffie recovered enough to start running again. She called over her shoulder to a still slightly confused Tifa and Aries. "Better get a move on. Wouldn't want to let them to recognized you now would we."

They looked at each other for a moment before they started running after their troublesome associate.

That girl can be such a pain sometimes they both thought.

------------------

"Yeah, can I get some service here?" pleaded Barrett. The crew had picked a swanky new restaurant to celebrate their victory over the casino however Cloud, Red and Barrett had been waiting for their order of steamed red meat for over twenty minutes now and their patience was wearing thin.

"Man this place sucks." said cloud as he played aimlessly with his fork, stabbing the air. "The table is too small, the chairs are creaky and I swear that waiter is giving me funny looks."

"Still having to sit on the floor." mumbled Red.

Clouds stomach grumbled. Seemed like everyone else was tucking into their meal talking about rubbish while they were quietly starving to death. One conversation pinged his interest though. Two beach bums seated near him were talking about a beach volleyball competition and that first place came with a substantial amount of money as a prize. Thoughts of being presented with a large novelty check and gold trophy complete with beautiful women cheering his name filled Cloud's mind.

"Finally, wheres our order?" Cloud was snapped out of his daydreaming by the waiters arrival. Barrett was busy giving him the third degree.

"We've been waiting here for over 20 minutes! We're paying customers."

The waiter, a young man with dark hair and lines under his eyes replied in a low tone that they were very busy and would they please wait just a little longer.

"Look pal." said Barrett as he place his arm on the table. "We don't have all day here man, ok?"

The mans face twisted in horror. "S-sorry Sir, I'll g-get right on it personally." He started to back away and quickly disappeared into the kitchen. Several of the guests were looking in his direction now as well, with varying expressions of dread.

"What are ya all looking at?" Barrett snarled. He got up out of his chair causing a general panic as customers leaped out of their chairs and flew towards the door.

"Errrr Barrett?" Cloud said. Barrett turned to face him. "The cloth you use to cover up your gun arm has fallen off. Thats why everyone is panicking."

Barrett's gaze turned to his gun arm which he had been waving around without realizing it.

"Ah, thats what it was. Better get out of here before they call the cops."

Red was wondering when he was finally going to get something to eat as they raced away into the street.

* * *

The trio of ladies at at last found the time to rest after losing the Shinra troopers chasing after them.

"Finally lost....them." Aires puffed out, completely worn out. "Why didn't... we just kick their asses?"

"Because then our chances of making money would plummet into nothingness if they knew Avalanche was still in town." said Tifa who was sitting on one of the worn out wooden crates laying around the dank street ally they had hid in temporarily.

"Better that we keep a low profile." She stressed the words 'low profile' looking directly at Yuffie who shuffled uncomfortably.

"It wasn't my fault, really! Some old geezer reported me to the authorities. Can't even work without someone sticking their nones in nowadays."

Aeries sighed. "I don't exactly agree with you stealing but having said that; how much?

"Ha! I've made plenty." She announced triumphantly. "Just take a look at these." Yuffie proceeded to remove the stolen booty from her pouch and show it off to her two onlookers who couldn't hide the glow from their eyes at the sight of so many wallets and purses.

"Impressed? I bet you are. This was no problem for someone with my skills. If only you two could be as skilled as I-whoa!" Yuffie was cut off as she leapt into the air to avoid Aries' lunging at her.

She landed onto the ground but was immediately grabbed from behind by Tifa and hoisted into the air.

"What were you saying again Yuffie?"

Aries stepped forward, brandishing her rod in both hands. "Maybe we should teach this young lady a lesson?"

"Hmmmm what a good idea." said Tifa. Yuffie started to struggle but Tifa's grip was unbreakable. "Common, I was only joking. Honest!"

Aries didn't stop moving towards her, her features twisted into an evil grin.

"Let me go Tifa! I was just about to tell you about a great opportunity to make some last minute money."

* * *

The sky was just starting to darken as the sun began to disappear beneath the horizon. "I can't believe we agreed to this, Cloud." Sighed Barrett.

"Ah common, its not the worse thing we've had to do in order to get this far. Remember that time where we had to masquerade as music agents in order to-"

"Just stop right there Cloud. We agreed never to talk about that incident ever again." Barrett suppressed a shudder at the thought.

"Hey guys." Red interrupted. "You'd better keep your mind on the game."

Just then, the booming voice of someone using a microphone blasted out, making everyone jump.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen! Its almost time to start so get ready and good luck to our brave competitors!"

Both men suddenly focused on the momentous task at hand. Victory in the official Costa de Sol volleyball tournament!

The prize money at stake for first place would surely push them over the edge in order to win the bet. They had surprisingly had no problems with letting Red play as an member of their team after they explained that he was trained to play advanced games like this. Guess they thought it would add to the spectacle. Barrett wasn't that enthusiastic about wearing trunks but sacrifices needed to be made.

The floodlights fired up, illuminating the golden sands of the bleach in all its glory. The onlookers were crowded around the sides of the playing area, a simple line drawn in the sand. They shouted things like "Good luck!" and "Give us a good show!"

The announcer sat high on his deck chair took a brief look at his notes detailing which teams were completing in the first round.

"On one side, we have the Midgar heroes, a late entry in the competition. On the other side we have the beach blue strikers from our very own Costa de Sol!"

He paused a little before adding "Give our competitors a warm round of applauds."

The crowd clapped like trained seals and shouted out a few mostly encouraging slogans.

"Ready?" The umpire called out, who was also sat on top of a tall chair. "Gooooo!"

The other team, made up of 3 burly looking men had the ball and so served first. Cloud tensed up, feeling the sand shift underfoot, waiting for the strike. He was positioned close to the net, ready to knock down any careless shots. Barrett was on the left while Red took up the center right. A few tense seconds passed before the guy with the ball threw it into the air, waited until it reached him again and power slammed it across the net.

Red roared which was the teams single that he had the ball. It was agreed that things would be simpler if he didn't speak which was started to develop into an all too familiar patten.

Red somersaulted into the air, striking the ball with his head and sending it at the opponents end zone. The shot was too unexpected for the other team and it impacted just inside their zone.

Barrett smiled and gave Red a thumbs up.

"Nice going Red!" said Cloud.

The umpires whistle rang out. "Point, Midgar heroes!" he called. "Blue strikers to serve."

This time the shorter blond man took the ball. He grinned before sending the ball over the net at blinding speeds. Cloud got his hand on the ball but he was surprised to find that it was spinning extremely rapidly causing it to fly over him.

"Barrett." he called.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." he replied calmly. He moved a few places to the right. Good, directly under the ball. Time for my 'big shot!'

Barrett drew his gun arm back, which now boasted a large wooden fist instead of the usual minigun and punched the ball back with all his might. The ball rocketed over the net and a few seconds later disappeared from view.

One of the linesmen waved a flag. "Out of bounds, one point to the blue beach strikers!"

Everyone started clapping and cheering.

"Nice going Barrett." said Red.

Barrett scratched his head. "Damn it, I don't know my own strength sometimes. Sorry guys."

Cloud picked up the new ball that was thrown onto the sand in front of him by one of the linesmen. He felt the weight, getting ready to serve.

"Ok guys, I've got the ball this time. Barrett, I want you at the net ready to spike."

"Yeah you got it."

"Red, I want to to play the field, watch out for counter hits."

Red nodded and moved into position. Cloud eyed the opposing team, noting where they were and their possible reach. He held the ball up in one hand and, forming his other hand into a fist, sent the ball flying over the net. It was easily intercepted by one of the beach team who knocked it over to his team mate on the right who in turn volleyed it back over in the direction of the Midgar heroes. Barrett however was waiting at the net at just the right place as the ball passed overhead. He leapt up and spiked the ball straight down with the force of a hurricane. One man tried to drive for it and skidded across the sand but there was no chance of getting a hand on it and it drove into their score zone, kicking up a torrent of sand as it did so.

"And thats one point for the Midger heroes!" the announcer called. "This game just got interesting!" Most of the spectators started clapping despite the fact that it was the home team that had just conceded a goal.

"Great shot." said Red.

"Lets make it another one." added Cloud. "Its their serve. Lets send them packing!"

The contest ran on for another two hours before the Midgar heroes managed to reach the final. The sky They had a tough semi final round against the Shinra SOLDIERS who Cloud suspected were not actual members of SOLDIER, a fact that he tried to tell Barrett but the guy was too high on the fact that he gave those Shinra scumbags a good pasting. And here they were, this was the final match. They didn't know who their opponents would be as they had been too tired to watch the other competitors duke it out and had instead used the time in between games to rest and imagine the faces of the girls when they walk back into the villa with the prize money and trophy.

Cloud, Red and Barrett walked out onto the beach, heads held high with supreme confidence. Nothing was going to get between them and the prize money. Nothing.

The announcer gave them a warm welcome.

"Here come the Midgar heroes, a previously unknown team that has taken the tournament by storm and blazed their way to the finals with powerful strikes and serves. Lets give them a round of applause."

The crew took up positions on their side of the court. Cloud waved to a few of the female fans that he passed along the way. He could get used to this.

"And here comes our other finalists. This all woman team took everyone by surprise by defeating last years reigning champions in a hot semi-finals knock out. No one could match their speed and technique up until now, but lets see what happens in this, the final match of the competition!" The Midgar heroes as one turned towards their opponents as they walked onto the other side of the court. Their jaws dropped as they realized that it was none other than Tifa, Aries and Yuffie. Their arrival was accompanied by a few whistles and jeers from a few guys who were lost in the press of the onlookers. Aries had an annoyed look on her face. They were dressed for the occasion. They wore designer swimsuits apart from Yuffie who just had a plain black one piece on.

Must we go through this every single time Tifa thought to herself. I used to get enough of this back at the bar for heavens sakes.

Yuffie picked up the pace and jogged cheerfully right up to the net separating the two sides, her arms outstretched. "Hey guys, didn't expect to see us here, am I right?" she said, peering through the net.

"I must say, I was surprised to find you guys had also entered this competition." said Aries.

She picked up the ball waiting on the sidelines. "However, I don't plan on going easy on you."

Barrett grinned. Aries was always so full of herself, taking her down a peg or two would sweeten the victory by a great deal.

"Haha, no need to go easy on us. You have seen us play right? We're the hottest team this side of the ocean. No ones going to beat us! Right Cloud?"

He glanced over at Cloud who seemed to be daydreaming. "Hey Cloud?"

"Ahhh, what?" He reluctantly tore he gaze away from Tifa's blue bikini.

"Focus man, this is our chance to show them who's boss."

"Right, right." He scratched his head, wondering how things had turned out like this. He sore never to touch another drop of alcohol as long as he lived. Not that he believed he could keep his promise for even a second.

A sharp whistle sounded. "Now then, what do you say we get things underway?" boomed the announcer from his megaphone. The crowd roared with approval, eager to enjoy the climax of the event play out in front of them.

"On my next whistle, the game will begin. Get ready competitors!"

Everyone tensed up, reading themselves. Everyone apart from Yuffie who was skipping around the boundary of the court. Tifa held the ball in one hand, ready to get the game underway a second after the clear was given. Cloud knew to be on his guard as it was no surprise that Tifa was their teams striker. Her martial arts training give her a lot of strength. Still, its not like he was in SOLDIER for nothing. Bring it on he thought.

The whistle sounded for the second time, the game was on!

Tifa lifted the ball in on arm, preparing to strike. "Get ready guys." shouted Cloud. "Here it comes!"

"Hiiya!" Tifa dug one foot into the sand to steady herself and then stuck the ball with her palm raised, sending it hurtling over the net.

It was too fast for Barrett to spike at the net and the shadow of the ball passed over him. In a split second he worked out the trajectory and called out to Red that it would land on his side. Red was in position in an instant. Time seemed to slow for Barrett as he watched Red twist round and hit the ball with his tail, sending it right back over to him. Right, my turn! As the ball passed over him he leaped up and sent it racing into the sand. Yuffie zoomed in but couldn't get a hand on it.

The linesmen waved his hands. "Score! One point for the Midgar heroes!" he called out.

Cloud gave Barrett a high five. "Nice job." he told Red. Red looked happy at the compliment.

Over the other side of the net the mood wasn't quite as jubilant.

"Yuffie how could you miss that?" snapped Aries.

"Oh gaud Aries, it was just too fast for me. I got burned on my legs when I dived for it."

"Now now," said Tifa, "lets just make sure the next goal is ours."

With that they moved back onto their respective places, Tifa with the ball as usual. "Ready everyone?" she said. She received a few nods. Right, better make this one count. She raised the ball as before but this time she made sure to put a little spin into her serve. When she hit the ball over the net Red was unable to stop it from the middle of the field and only managed to get a paw on it before it skipped over him. "Cloud" called Barrett who was at the net.

"I got it!" he replied as he ran for the far left hand side of the court. He just made it in time to punch the ball into the air with one arm. That was close, one second later...

Barrett ran into the center, throwing up sand everywhere as he closed the distance. He cranked his neck up to see the ball which was falling right towards him. He jumped up and blasted the ball with all his strength. You could almost hear the wind parting as the ball hurtled towards the now panic stricken girls team.

It zoomed over Tifa, causing her hair to flutter madly. "Incoming!" she shouted.

"I got it!" screamed Yuffie as she sprang up, pushing her hands together to block the balls path. It hit her at full force, bouncing off her palm. Aires was waiting underneath and simply knocked the ball over the net to score.

"Man that stings." said Yuffie as she waved her hands.

"Chin up, Yuffie." said Tifa. "We're right back in this game thanks to you."

Aries walked over to join them. "Yeah for once your actually helping us instead of causing trouble."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out.

The game went on for another hour and both teams fought fiercely for every point. The score was dead even, the crowd was on the edge of its seats. The next goal would determine the victor.

Aries wiped her forehead, even though the sun had long since left the sky she was extremely worn out and sweaty. Man I can't wait to take a long relaxing bath after we win this thing. She had conceded the last point and so they had the serve. We'd better make this count.

She waved Tifa and Yuffie over to work out their game plan.

Cloud could see them huddled together from the other side of the net. "What do you think their planning?" he asked to no one in particular.

"I've no idea." said Barrett. "Besides, we should be focusing on what we're going to do. Not worrying about them."

"Right." Red agreed. "The net point will decide things."

He was right. It all came down to this. Cloud couldn't wait to get this whole sorry business behind him. Still, he got to see everyone in bikinis so it wasn't a total loss.

Speaking of which the girls had finished whatever planning they had done and moved into their positions. Tifa held the ball, standing silently ready near the back of the court.

The announcer boomed over the microphone that it all came down to this, the last point and some other stuff that he couldn't be bothered to listen to. Clouds mind was completely focused, waiting for the whistle that would kick things off.

He didn't have to wait long. The linesman's whistle rang out and no sooner had it, Tifa served the ball in her typically powerful fashion. Cloud saw the ball zooming towards him. He ran to the net but slipped on the sand in his haste and fell head first into the ground.

Yuffie giggled to herself. Barrett growled and sprinted over to intercept the shot. He made it just in time to launch the ball back the other way with his big shot attack. The sound he made as he struck the ball could be heard even in the back row of the crowd.

Yuffie was too busy laughing at Cloud's misfortune to react fast. Yuffie panicked and miss completely, only succeeding in swiping air. "Wake up Yuffie!" Shouted Tifa who rushed towards the back of the court.

"Hey Tifa, your breasts are showing!" called Barrett.

Tifa yelped and stopped to check herself. She could find nothing wrong. Damn that Barrett, playing dirty now are we?

Now it fell to Aries. She stood, standing ready, eyes focused. She formed her hands together, raised her head to gauge the distance and struck the ball with all her might!

Sadly it wasn't enough to clear the net but Yuffie was on hand to knock it over with only a few seconds to spare.

"Made it..." she panted.

However Cloud was back at the net and spiked the ball back down onto the girls pitch, scoring and ending the game.

"Yes!" said Barrett who looked as happy as ever. He punched his first into the air in triumph. Red wore a similar expression.

Tifa and the others looked crestfallen.

The next day the party had left Costa de sol and had begun their trek up the mountain trail. The sun was still as relentless as ever which made things more difficult then they needed to be. However it was harder on some than others.

"Good work there." said Barrett as they reached the foot of a steep embankment.

"Don't...push...your luck." Aires sputtered out. She as well as Tifa and Yuffie were carrying all of the teams equipment until they reached the next town. Tifa wasn't having as much trouble as the other two but it was still hard going. They didn't look very happy either, especially with Cloud and Barrett's beaming smiles rubbing it in.

Enjoy your victory for now, Aries thought. I'll get my own back, just you wait.


End file.
